Even in Dreams.
by Singe1
Summary: Lets see. It's your Vegeta has problem dealing emotion, Bulma's the only one around who can take him, average girl is not so average type of thingy. *grin* First try here, so don't worry about the story being cliche. Must warn you though, there's a charac
1. Default Chapter

Warnings: Um, there is a character that Vegeta likes, sort of, other than Bulma, so don't say I didn't warn you. 

Disclaimer: I don't own it. *Breaks down and cries * I do own 'Ray' and her person, and, of course, my dog Rusty. So don't sue, 'cause you don't want him, trust me. 

Rating: Hmm. PG-13. It'll probably go up later. 

Author's notes: Um, ............. *hides * 

Even in Dreams. 

Bulma slammed the pan down on the stove, cracking the metal surface and disjointing the handle. That made her feel much better, in the overall situation she was in. Then she sighed. Too bad she broke the pan, though. She shrugged and looked at the damage she had done. The entire surface was cracked. Oh well. She went downstairs to her lab to get some tools. It was while she was coming up with her bundle that she remembered exactly why she had broken the pan and stove. She scowled and growled one name, almost seeming to bite it as it came out from between her clenched teeth. 

"Yamcha." 

Almost on cue, the phone rang. She threw her tools onto the table, and picked up the receiver. She hoped it was Chi Chi. 

"Hello?" 

"Hey babe," a cocky voice said from the other end. 

"Yamcha!" she yelled, disbelief evident in her every syllable. Yamcha chuckled from the other end, causing her blood to heat once more. 

"Yeah, I know. But I forgive you Bulma. And if you promise to kiss and make up, then maybe we can start dating again." He said in a husky whisper. She could hardly believe the man's gall! She angrily slammed the phone down, causing it to jar in her hand, but not before she heard the words that sent a chill up her back. 

"I'll see you tonight, babe." 

She clenched her fists, trying to decide whether she was currently in a rage, or in a panic. She decided she could handle both for right now. Just then, Mr. High and Mighty walked in, an angry scowl on his face. 

"Woman, stop making so much noise! You interrupted my training!" he shouted, going over to the fridge and taking out a bottle of water. Bulma put both hands to the sides of her head and then gave vent to a loud shriek. 

"Eeeeeeaaaaagggggggghhhhhhh!!!!" Vegeta flinched violently, almost dropping his water. Saiyans have _very_ good hearing, and Bulma's scream made his head ring. He scowled sourly at her. 

"Thanks. I may have just lost the hearing in both my ears." She was breathing hard, but then her lower lip began to tremble, and she walked into the living room. Soon, he heard her quiet sobbing, much to his relief, and then annoyance. For one, he wasn't deaf after all, and two, the woman was crying. He sighed and finished the entire bottle, chucked it into the trashcan, and then wandered into the room. Bulma was lying on the couch with her face buried into a pillow, her shoulders shaking with what she was trying to keep silent. He lightly touched her shoulder, and she shoved his hand away, sitting up and frantically brushing her tears away. 

"What do you want? And no, I _can't _just stop crying." She retorted. He smiled inwardly. She was so feisty. He sat on the edge of the couch and put on his mask of indifference. Bulma looked over at him, slightly taken aback that he hadn't yelled at her. What was he trying to do; freak her out? Instead, he sighed and leaned back, stretching his feet out to the table and folding his hands behind his head. 

"All right, woman. What is it that's got you so upset?" he asked in a neutral voice. Bulma stared at him, trying to figure out if it was subterfuge or not. Finally she shrugged. She didn't really care anymore. 

"Yamcha." 

"Your boyfriend." He said with distaste. He hated that baka human. And now he had made his verbal sparring partner cry, indirectly causing him annoyance. 

"We... We broke up." She said, her lip trembling once more. "I broke up with him last night." She said, suddenly wanting to pour out the whole story to someone, anyone, even if it _was _Vegeta. "We were supposed to go to his place to go out for a night out on the town." Preparing herself for the next part, she took a deep breath. Nonetheless, tears started anew to stream unchecked down her face. "When he didn't pick me up, I decided to drive over to his house to see if he was just late." How dumb that sounded now, she thought bitterly, then continued the story with new heat. "When I got there, I saw a red sports car in his driveway. It wasn't his, so I went inside his house to see if he had some buddy over." She flushed slightly. Now _that _sounded really dumb. She stole a glance at the Saiyan Prince to see if he was smirking. He wasn't. Strangely enough, his expression had not changed. 

"Go on." 

"Well, when I went in, he was sitting on the couch with another girl. I waited for a bit, hoping it might be a cousin or something." She laughed weakly. She couldn't believe herself, but kept on, determined to get the whole thing out. "I went up behind him and smacked his head. I told him it was over and then I stormed out and drove back here." She angrily wiped away the fresh tears and looked up at him. "And just now he tried to call and get back together. He said that _he _was ready to forgive _me_! Can you believe that?!" she practically shouted, causing him to wince once more. "Oh, sorry, Vegeta. Anyway, then he said he'd be over tonight before I hung up." She said, the old fear beginning to clutch her stomach again. She looked imploringly at the calm Saiyan before her. 

"What should I do?" she asked, half expecting him to snort in her face and turn away. Instead, he turned his head to look at her strangely. 

"Why are you asking me?" 

"Vegeta, I can't do this alone." She said, almost begging him. To her surprise, he didn't even smirk. He stared up at the ceiling, and seemed to think about it. 

"Well, under normal circumstances, you know what my solution would be..." She sighed. 

"Yeah, kill him." She said, rolling her eyes. He chuckled, and the smile on his face made him appear even more handsome. 

"Yes. But since you're the one with the problem, I'll make an exception. What do you say to me lying for you if you quit screeching you head off every time I turn a corner." Bulma giggled and nodded. 

"Okay, Vegeta. You've got a deal. I'll leave the house for the night, and you can lie to Yamcha. Say something about me going out shopping. He'll believe that." Vegeta nodded and rose. He stretched, causing Bulma to let her eyes wander over him, and then flick away as he looked back at her. 

"Settled. I'm going to go train. Let me know when you leave, then, so I can be prepared for player boy." Suddenly, Bulma gave an evil giggle that caught him off-guard. That was unlike her, and so was that gleam in her eyes. 

"Yamcha's going to wet his pants when he sees you." She said, actually gloating at the prospect. Vegeta smirked and walked out of the house to leave the woman to her thoughts. Bulma immediately phoned Chi Chi to tell her of the plan. She, of course, was ecstatic. It was all so perfect, she almost wanted to run out and give Vegeta a big kiss. Whoa, where the hell did _that_ come from? She giggled as she hung up the phone. Rrriiight. She could just imagine Vegeta's face if she did something like kiss him; total disgust. Maybe she would do it after all. She giggled again, and then headed upstairs to prepare for the 'major shopping trip' that was actually a sleep over at Chi Chi's. She would have to keep the plan from Goku though. He was just too innocent when it came to things like these. She started singing a song, actually in a cheerful mood as she packed for that night and the next day, then letting out a low, wicked laugh at the thought of Yamcha knocking on her door and Vegeta answering it. She knew for a fact that Yamcha was scared to death of the Saiyan Prince. She lugged her suitcase down the stairs and threw it in her trunk, then walked over to the Gravity Simulator. She tapped lightly on the door, and the machine turned off. She waited a few moments, rocking back and forth on her heels. Then she jumped as the door was roughly yanked open. Vegeta leaned out, his chest bare and streaming sweat. Kami, that man could work up heat in no time. She smiled. 

"I'm leaving now." 

"All right." 

"Um... I left you some dinners you could heat up. The instructions are fairly simple." 

"What are you implying, woman?" he asked, suddenly irritated. Bulma smiled more. 

"That I care whether or not you eat tonight. See you in the morning Vegeta, and thanks." She said, putting a towel on his shoulder and patting it down before she turned and left in her car. Vegeta stared after her, and then down at the white cloth on his shoulder. 

"Pfaugh!" He slammed the door shut and turned the gravity up to 350 times normal Earth. He wanted to be a sight when the little baka arrived. He grinned evilly as he shot a blast around the room, dodging quickly. He might make the little Earthling wet his pants after all. The ass _did _deserve at least that. In five hours, it was already six O'clock. Vegeta reasoned that Yamcha would be coming about this time, and so he turned off the machine and went in the house to shower. It turned out to be correct, as he assumed. Just as he was coming down the stairs, with no shirt on, he heard the doorbell ring. Bulma had made the noise softer than before, because he had complained that it bothered his ears. He thought back to how often she'd tested it to make sure it was soft enough. He put on his most menacing scowl and glared as he opened the door. There was the 'ass' as Vegeta affectionately referred to him. He lifted an eyebrow at the now cringing human and crossed his arms. 

"What do you want?" he asked in a hiss. Yamcha paled. 

"I-Is B-B-Bulma around?" he stuttered under the Prince's heavy gaze. Vegeta sneered. 

"The woman is not here. She is out shopping, or some other female nonsense." He growled. Yamcha immediately darkened. 

"What?! I said I was going to come over tonight!" he said, looking over Vegeta's shoulder at the dark house. Vegeta reached out and lifted Yamcha by his collar, staring into the suddenly trembling human's eyes. 

"You doubt my word? _You_?! You're nothing but a player, and worth just as much. I'm surprised that woman hasn't stayed just for the pleasure of watching me kill you." He said, narrowing his eyes. Yamcha yelped as his grip tightened. 

"No! Please don't kill me, Vegeta. I-I-"

"Shut up!" He shook the man. Yamcha fell into a frightened silence. 

"Now listen. The woman doesn't want to see you, and _I _certainly don't either. Next time you get a craving to come over here, start thinking about what you want to put on your tombstone." He said, dropping the man to the ground. Yamcha stumbled to his feet and ran to his car, streaking off into the night. Vegeta smirked at the trail of dust, and then brushed his hands together as if clearing them of dirt. He shut the door with his foot, stretched, and went upstairs to his bed. 'The woman had better be quiet as a mouse for this,' he thought as he pulled the covers up over him. 

Bulma woke that morning, feeling a little apprehension. She wondered if anything had happened last night. Did Yamcha really go over to her house, and did Vegeta really tell him off for her? All these questions and more swirled around in her head as she stepped into the shower, turning on the hot water and sighing. She would find out soon enough. In about an hour, she got out and dressed and did her hair and make-up. Then she repacked and dragged her suitcase down the stairs to throw it in her car, and then she went back into the kitchen to help Chi Chi with breakfast. She had two Saiyans to cook for, so she could use some. Eventually they had the table set and the Son family sat down to eat. Chi Chi looked up at her friend as Goku and Gohan started to dig in. 

"Aren't you hungry Bulma?" she asked. The blue-haired woman nodded, and then rolled her eyes. 

"Yeah, but I'm going home to make another breakfast. One at least as large as this, I'm afraid. It's the least I can do for him." Chi Chi huffed. 

"Well, don't let him walk all over you just because he told a little lie for you. A favor for a favor, and you've already made yours." 

"Haha! Don't worry Chi. I always make the meals there. I think we'd all starve if my mother and I didn't know how to cook," she said over her shoulder. "Thanks for letting me stay, Chi. Call you later." 

"Any time hon." She called, waving. Goku mouthed a good-bye around his mouthful of food. Bulma chuckled as she started up her car and raced away for Capsule Corp. She was lucky to have such good friends. She turned off the car as she parked in the yard, and capsulated it after removing her suitcase. Vegeta appeared at the door, and wordlessly took her suitcase after watching her struggle with it for a few minutes. Bulma almost fell over she was so shocked. He went up the stairs, and then entered her room, with her following him, curiosity gnawing at her. He set the case on the bed, and then turned to her with arms crossed. She finally couldn't stand it anymore, and waved her hands. 

"Well? What happened?" she asked, her eyes slightly wide. He smirked, and then laughed. She smiled, caught up in his mirth, feeling this was going to be good. She sat down on the bed and drew her legs to herself, waiting for the story. He finally stopped laughing and told her what had happened while she was gone. She listened, her eyes getting wider and wider, and when he told her of the parting ultimatum, she burst out laughing, clutching at her stomach and tears coming out of her tightly shut eyes. Vegeta watched, amused at her reaction, but still pleased. He got up to go train while she was making breakfast. She got control of her laughter and caught his arm at the doorway. 

"Vegeta," she gasped, trying to get her breath. "Wait a minute." He turned, his look of indifference plastered on his face. 

"What is it woman? I have training to do." He said flatly. She smiled, and then leaned up on her toes and kissed him on the cheek. It was surprisingly soft, she thought, and giggled at herself. She looked up into his startled eyes. 

"Thanks Vegeta." She said, brushing past him and skipping her way down to the kitchen, humming a jumpy little tune. The Prince of Saiyans stood there in the hallway, shocked and stunned and a little worried at the same time. Then he slowly turned and made his way out of the house to the GR. 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Please don't forget to review! If I get enough, I might just finish this! Don't worry; it won't stay cliché, promise! 

Vegeta: You'd better finish this woman! 

Singe: Oh, and why are you so interested in the continuation of this story? 

Vegeta: Because it has me in it! And just look at how you've got me acting! I am _not soft!!_

Singe: Oh yeah you are. You just haven't gotten in touch with _that side_ yet. 

Vegeta: *Cringes * 

Singe: Please review! You know you want to tell me how much you think it sucks! 


	2. Chapter Two (Even in Dreams.)

Warning: Only that this chapter has a cliff hanger, sort of. And I know you don't mind that! I hope you guys like Ray. 

Disclaimer: I don't own anything except my character Ray, and that's a popular name. You can't have Rusty! *Grabs dog * 

Rating: PG-13. It may go up later, depends. 

Author's notes: Okay, I didn't wait for a lot of reviews, 'cause I wanted to get this chapter up as soon as possible. *Rubs hands * Ouch! 

Even in Dreams.

Bulma continued singing as she cooked various foods. She pulled most of the supplies out of the fridge, reasoning that since Vegeta was training _before_ breakfast today, that he would be twice as hungry. She frowned as the phone rang. It better not be Yamcha, she thought as she yanked the phone off the receiver. 

"Hello?" she said ungraciously. A low whistle sounded on the other end of the line, and a girl's low, smooth voice came after it, sounding amused. 

"Well, well. That's a nice greeting after four years of no contact." She mused. 

"Ray?!" Bulma exclaimed. She was suddenly ecstatic. She clenched the phone as if it would run away and did a happy twirl, unconsciously winding the cord around her waist as she did so. "Oh, I'm sorry! I thought you were Yamcha!" she explained quickly. Ray laughed. 

"Oh, yeah. Should I take that as an insult or a neutral comment?" Bulma knew she was actually asking if Yamcha and her had broken up, again. Vegeta chose that moment to walk in, shirt off and towel around his neck. He stopped when he saw she was on the phone, and sat down across from her, curious as to why she had such a big smile on her face. She also sat down, unwinding herself distractedly. He deduced it wasn't Yamcha or Chi Chi, for while Kakarot's wife made her smile most of the time, it was never like this. 

"What have you been doing lately? I mean, I've seen your new music videos and all, but what else have you been up to?" She asked, practically fidgeting right off her chair. Vegeta raised an eyebrow. Was this a man? Bulma talked excitedly. 

"No kidding? Someone's living with us right now who does martial arts too!" She paused, the wide grin still plastered on her face. "Oh yeah! That'd be fantastic! We can catch up on everything! When is your flight coming in?" She listened, and then laughed. "Yeah, I imagine they would! Okay, see you at seven, then." She said brightly, and then hung up. She stood and did a little dance over to the stove. Vegeta couldn't stand it any longer. 

"Well, woman?" He asked, tapping his fingers on the table. Bulma turned, the dreamy look still in her eyes. She was fairly bubbling over with happiness. 

"Well what?" She asked. He slammed his fist down on the table, though careful not to break it. 

"What was the phone call all about? Why are you so happy?" He yelled. She walked over to him and smiled. 

"Vegeta, my friend Ray is coming into town!" She announced, as if that were enough to clear up everything. She took in his blank look and sighed, seating herself across from him. "Okay, here's how it goes. Ray and I found each other when we went to a private elementary school together. We became very close friends back then. She was a tough little kid, and I was shy and nervous around other kids. We went all through till high school together, hardly apart, and finally separated in college. She went off to follow her singing career, and made a big success out of it. We kept in touch till about four years ago when she went on tour and we lost each other. I still don't know how she got my number. I'll have to ask her when she gets here. Anyway, now she gets hold of me and has a whole three months of vacation set aside that she's been building up. She's getting on her flight right now, now that she's confirmed that it's okay for her to come. She'll be arriving at seven tonight, and I'm going to go get her." She finished, drawing in a deep breath and rising to check on the food. He sat there, a dazed expression on his face. She looked at him from over her shoulder. "I'd like you to come with me, Vegeta." She said softly. He jerked his gaze up at her, and was about to retort, but she spoke first. "An airport can be a dangerous place for two ladies, you know." She mused. "And who would cook and fight with you if I was gone?" Vegeta was shell-shocked. 

"I.... I guess." He mentally slapped himself. _Why_ had he just done that? Breakfast was soon laid out, and he looked at the jumble of different dishes in front of him. "Woman, you were so excited that you mixed dinner and lunch with breakfast." He said, eyeing a pasta dish. She smiled and ran upstairs. 

"I'll make you a big dinner too!" She yelled down as she reached the top. "I don't want you to scare her with your appetite." The door closed and he smiled to himself before digging in. Then he paused. What was he going to do with _two_ females for three months*? He sighed as he got up to go train. This was going to be very rough. 

/*/*/*/*/*/

That night, Vegeta strapped himself in beside Bulma in the car. He had wanted to fly himself, but Bulma had joked about him damaging airplanes, and he rather grumpily complied with her wishes. The air whipped through his proud, upright hair as they rushed towards the airport. They parked in the car garage, and walked down to the airport itself. Vegeta followed her around till they reached a certain gate, and waited beside her, his hands in his black jeans pockets. He had worn those with a dark blue t-shirt*. Bulma was wearing denim* shorts and a light blue t-shirt. She was also wearing that huge smile. Vegeta couldn't help but smile slightly. He liked it when she was pissed, but he also liked it when she was happy too. A couple of people stepped off the plane before Bulma squealed and ran forward. A young woman, about Bulma's age, had stepped off the ramp. She was slender and beautiful, with a long, thick braid of hair so black that it looked almost blue, like blue ink in a bottle, and vivid, dark green eyes, which were shown after she removed her sunglasses and smiled. Her smile was sincere and bright, flashing in her emotion. He snapped out of the image of slow-movement as Bulma crashed into her, causing her to drop her bag. 

"Easy Bulma!" A smooth, low voice, like a vibration thrumming through his chest, cautioned. "You'll crush me!" Bulma laughed, bending down to take one of the bags. Vegeta folded his arms. No wonder Bulma had wanted him to come along. The pair was a challenge to every male out here. He turned and led the way out of the airport, with the two chatting behind him. Eventually, the girl noticed him. 

"By the way, Bulma." she said, making no effort to lower her pitch. "Who's the stud you've got in front of us?" she asked. Vegeta almost stumbled. Stud? He felt a slow flush move up his cheeks, and was grateful he had his back to the two females. Bulma chuckled nervously. 

"That's Vegeta. He's the one I told you about who's living with us." There was a long pause. 

"And how long did you say that you and Yamcha were broke up?" She asked in a speculating tone. Bulma sighed. 

"Two days." Ray must have smiled. 

"Well, in that case, I guess you two have a bit more work ahead of you." She said. Vegeta was about to fly off. Bulma spoke slowly. 

"What do you mean?" 

"Oh, nothing. How are Goku and Chi Chi doing?" Bulma immediately went off into the discussion. Vegeta smirked. The girl certainly knew Bulma. 

"Wow," Ray exclaimed. "So Goku's got a kid now." She grinned. "I've got to see him! He's probably a little cutie like his dad, with his mom's brains." Bulma laughed. "And Gohan's in high school now, right?" Bulma nodded. Ray laughed wickedly. 

"What?" She asked curiously. Ray winked. 

"I heard about Videl through the paper. Damn, that boy moves fast, or is it the girl?" Vegeta smirked as he jumped into the backseat of the car. This conversation was going to be very interesting. As they headed back home, speeding as usual, Vegeta learned about the dark-haired girl's personality. She was quick with her tongue, and intelligent enough to appreciate Bulma's conversation, and read between the lines of a subject often, surfacing things that would otherwise be left unnoticed. He was in the seat behind her, and her scent was a light, sweet smell that tugged at his Saiyan senses, not unlike Bulma's in fact. When they pulled into the drive, she jumped out of the car, her braid flicking over her arm to hang down to the small of her back, ending in three locks of hair that had natural, loose spirals. She jerked her bag out of the car, and rushed into the house behind Bulma. Vegeta snorted. 

"Women... Enough said." He mumbled. He looked up at the house, and then headed for the GR to train till dinner. No doubt Bulma would be kept busy and wouldn't interrupt his training. Later that evening, however, he felt a ki level outside the GR. It was too strong to be Bulma or her friend, and too weak to be Kakarot. He went over and looked out the round window in the side of the circular room, and snorted. It was the woman's ex, Yamcha. He was about to rush out and beat him to within an inch of his life, but thought better of it. He wanted to see how Bulma handled him this time. He stayed still, listening for voices. When he didn't hear anything, he turned off the GR and entered the house. He came into the kitchen, and beheld a sight that made him burst out in genuine laughter...

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

(*): You perverts. *Grin * Vegeta wishes. 

(*): For those of you who don't already know, denim is the material jeans are made from. 

Oh, I know. I'm so bad to leave it there. I should be dragged out to the forest and shot, neh? 

Vegeta: *Glares * Oh no. I have a much better plan. 

What the hell is wrong with _you?!_

Vegeta: "genuine laughter?!" There is no such thing! 

*Mumbles * 

Vegeta: What was that?! 

I said you were a stuffy, stubborn, stiff little prick! 

Vegeta: .......... What's a prick? 

*Falls out of chair * Vegeta, you moron. 

Ok, I know that was sort of mean, but I had to end it there, 'cause the next part has no stopping point for a few pages, or more, and my hands are now sore from my other story. So, what do you think of Ray so far? I was thinking of making her a smart-aleck little bitch, but thought better of it. *Grin * 


End file.
